Such an electromagnetic actuator and a valve are, for example, known from EP 0 763 683 A1. Inside the coil are arranged two armatures, which can move along the central axis of the coil, when the coil is acted upon by a current and accordingly generates a magnetic field. The magnetic field causes that the two armatures attract each other mutually. In this connection, one armature removes itself from an actuation shaft of a valve element, thus releasing a pressure balancing opening. By means of a spacer, the other armature is connected to the actuation shaft. The actuation shaft is connected to the valve element. As soon as the pressure balancing over the valve element has taken place, the force of a spring is sufficient to open the valve further.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,814,339 B2 discloses a solenoid valve comprising two magnetic circuits, each comprising a coil and an armature. The two coils can be controlled independently of each other, so that two valve elements can be controlled to release a valve opening more or less extensively. In fact, this provides extended control opportunities. However, the effort to be invested in the manufacturing is relatively high.